}*El.RCTEb    FOIt    TttE    SOLDIERS.]  No.    356"-. 

THE  ACT  OF  FAITH. 


<(  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shah  be 
saved." — Ac(hK'):   il. 

I  once  «aw  a  lad  on  the  roof  of  a  very  higfi  building, 
where  several  men  were  at-  work.  He  v, as  gazing  about, 
with  apparent  unconcern,  when  suddenly  his  toot  slipped, 
and  he  fell,  hi  falling  he  caught  by  a  rope,  tmd  hung  sus- 
pended in  mid-air,  where  he  could  neither  get  up  nor  down, 
and  where  it  was  evident  he  could  sustain  himself  but  a 
short  time.  He  perfectly  knew  his  situation,  and  expect- 
ed that  in  a  few  moments,  he  must  drop  upon  the  rocks 
below,  and  be  dashed  to  pieces. 

At  this  fearful  moment,  a  kind  and  powerful  man  rush- 
ed out  of  the  house,  and  standing  beneath  him  with  ex- 
tended arms,  called  out,  "Let  go  the  rope,  and  I  will 
receive  you.  I  can  do  it.  Let  go  the  rope,  and  I  promise 
you  shall  escape  unharmed." 

The  boy  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  quit  his  hold, 
and  dropi  ed  easily  and  safely  into  the  arms  of  his  deliv- 
erer. Here,  thought  I,  is  an  illustration  of  faith.  Here 
is  a  simple  act  of  faith.  The  boy  was  sensible  of  his  dan- 
ger. He  saw  his  deliverer,  and  heard  his  voice.  He  be- 
lieved in  him,  trusted  to  him,  and  letting  go  every  other 
dependence  and  hope,  dropped  into  his  arms. 

So  must  a  sinner  distinctly  apprehend  his  guilt  and  h>s 
awful  e.rpo>.nre  by  nature.  He  must  know  where  he  is, 
and  what  he  needs,  before  he  will  apply  to  Christ  for  help 
He  must  see  distinctly,  that  he  is  a  sinner — atransgresso 
of  God's  law,  and  a  rebel  against  his  throne.  He  mustsee 
that  he  has  incurred  the  sentence  of  the  law;  that  it  is  a  just 
sentence,  and  that  he  is  liable  every  moment  to  sink  and 
perish  under  i't.  He  must  see  that,  so  far  as  his  own  ef- 
forts are  concerned,  there  is  no  possibility  of  escape.  He 
can  make  no  amends,  no  expiation,  for  his  psst  sins.  The 
long  catalogue  of  h  is  transgressions  standsarrayed  against 
him  ;  and  for  aught  he  can  do,  there  it  must  stand.  The 
sentence  of  the  law  has  been  passed  upon  him,  and  for 
aught  he  can  do,  it  must  be  speedily  executed  ;  and  if  it 
is  executed,  it  will  sink  him  for  ever;  for  this  sentence  is 
no  other  than  eternal  death  :   "eternal  dastructinn  from 


t  TWE    ACT    OF    FAITH. 

the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  pow- 
er." 2  Thess.  I :  !>.  In  this  awfully  exposed,  and  so  tar 
sis  he  is  concerned,  helpless  and  hopeless  condition,  he 
mast  see  himself,  before  he  will  consent  to  drop  into  the 
arms  of  the  Saviour,  and  accept  deliverance  on  the  con- 
ditions of  the  gospel.  . 

And  he  must  see  more  than  this.    He  mast  see  who  the 
Saviour  is,  and  what  lie  has  done,  and  what  is' his  ability 
and  readiness  to  save.     Suppose  the  boy,  suspended  by 
the  rope,  had  seen  another  little  boy  like  himself  come 
out  of  the  house  and   stretch  his  weak  arms,  and  call 
upon  him  to  trust  to  him  for  deliverance,     tie  would 
have  cried  out  at  once,  "You  cannot  save  me.    Get  out 
of  the  way,  or  I  shall  fall  and  crush  myself  and  you." 
Just  so  the  convicted  sinner  fee's,  when  invited  to  put  his 
trust  in  a  man  like  himself.  "  A  mere  human  deliverer!" 
he  exclaims — "do  you  mean  to  mock  me?    What  can 
such  a.  deliverer  do  for  a  wretch  like  me?   What  can  he 
do  with  those  mountains  of  guilt  which  are  pressing  upon 
ine,  and  with  that  deathless  worm  which   is  gnawing 
within  me?    What  can  he  do  with  the  dreadful  sentence 
of  the  law  which  hangs  over  me,  and  the  devouring  flames 
which  are  kindled  to  consume  me?7     The  sinner  feela 
now  that  he  needs  a  divine  Saviour,  an  almighty  Saviour 
— onewhoisahleto  "saveto  the  uttermost'' — one  whose 
"blood  cleanseth  from  all  sin."     He  feels  that  no  other 
Saviour  can  meet  the  fearful  exigencies  of  his  case,  or 
can  ever  do  him  any  good.    And  when  he  looks  into  the 
Bible,  and  finds  that  just  such  a  Saviour  is  provided  and 
freely  offered  ;  when  he  finds  that  a  holy  Saviour,  whose 
word  is  truth — a  glorious  Saviour,  altogether  deserving 
his  confidence  and  love  ;  when,  with  the  eye  of  faith,  he 
sees  the  Saviour  standing  beneath   him,   extending  his 
mighty  arms  to  receive  him,  and  calling  out  to  him  to 
let  go  all  his  false  dependences  and  hopes,  and  drop  at 
once  into  his  faithful  hands:  what  should  prevent  him 
from  doing  it — from  simply  putting  forth  the  act  of  faith, 
and- falling  into  the  kind  and  gracious  arms  of  his  Deliv- 
erer?.- tie  obviously  has  all  the  knowledge  and  convic- 
lion  that. are  necessary,  av-d  he  lias  only  now  to  believe 
jn  Christ,  to  trust  to  him,  to  fall  into  his  embrace,  and  live 


THE    ACT    01'    FAITH.  9 

for  ever.  But  suppose  a,  man,  while  hanging,  as  it  worn,  o- 
ver  the  j-wsof  death,  begins  to  doubt  the<ibility  or  the  readi- 
•ffess  oi  Ohrifit  to  save.  Suppose  lie  begins  to  reason  with 
himself,  "My  soul  is  of  great  value,  and  the  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  my  salvation  are  great.  How  do  I  know 
that  this  Jesus  can  save  me — that  he  can  cleanse  such  a 
polluted  heart,  and  rescue  snch  a  vile  and  guilty  sinner? 
Or  if  he  can,  how  do  I  know  that  ne  will  ?  He  may  not 
be  sincere  in  his  offers.  It  may  be  he  only  intends 
to  tritie  with  my  misery."  Would  not  this  be  a  high  af- 
front and  indignity  offered  to  the  benevolent  Saviour  ? 
"Would  it  not  provoke  him  soon  to  withdraw  his  gracious 
hand,  and  say,  "Well,  sinner,  it  you  are  determined  not 
to  be  saved,  then  you  must  perish.  W  you  will  not  trust 
in  7/K,  then  you  must  be  cast  off  forever." 

Or  suppose  that,  while  the  Saviour  is  crying,  "Look 
unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,"  you  should  say,  "  I  am  not 
worthy  to  come  to  Christ  as  I  now  am.  I  must  wait  till 
I  have  done  something  to  recommend  me  to  his  regards." 
And  suppose  the  Saviour  should  continue  crying,  "Come 
just  as  you  are ;  come  in  all  your  vileness,  and  be  cleansed 
in  the  fountain  of  my  blood  ;"  and  you  still  hold  back, 
and  persist  in  the  struggle,  and  hang  upon  the  vain  ex- 
cuse;  might  lie  not  be  expected  soon  to  withdraw,  and 
leave  an  unbelieving  rebel  to  perish  ? 

)pose  you  should  say,  "How  came  I  to  be  a  sinner  ? 
God  permit  me  to  sin,  or  permit  sin  to  come 
vorld  ?"  Or,  "  .how  can  I  believe  of  myself?  Is 
the  gift  of  God?  and  until  the  gift  is  bestowed, 
I  do  but  patiently  to  wait  for  it?"  Or  suppose 
you  fly  to  the  other  extreme,  and  say,  "  I  can  believe  and 
secure  my  salvation  whenever  I  please;  I  need  be  in  no 
haste  about  it.  I  will  put  off  the  work  till  a  more  conve- 
nient season."  Or  suppose  you  alledge  that  you  are  not 
yet  enough  convicted;  have  not  had  enough  feeling, 
enough  distress,  to  render  it  possible  for  you  to  come  to 
Christ.  Suppose  you  speculate  and  trifle,  and  think  to 
throw  off  present  obligation  in  either  of  these  ways  ;  what 
must  be  the  feelings  of  the  Saviour  in  regard  to  you  ? 
Here  the  poor  rebel  hangs  over  the  pit  of  destruction, 
ready  to  drop  at  once  into  the  burning  lake  :  and  here  the 


4  THE    ACT    OF    FAITH. 

Saviour  stands  in  all  his  fulness,  offering  to  rescue  him, 
and  pleading  with  him  to  submit,  and  live.  What  more 
likely  method  could  lie  take  to  seal  and  secure  his  own 
destruction? 

Suppose  the  boy  suspended  by  the  rope,  instead  of 
dropping  into  the  arms  extended  to  receive  him,  had  in- 
sisted on  first  knowing  how  he  came  to  fall — "  How  came 
my  foot  to  slip,  and  I  to  make  this  fearful  plunge  ?  Why 
did  not  the  men  on  the  roof  take  better  care  of  me?  Or 
suppose  he  had  said,  "I  have  no  power  to  let  go  the  rope. 
My  hands  are  fast  clenched  upon  it,  and  how  can  I  open 
them  of  myself?"  Or,  "  I  can  let  go  and  be  delivered  at 
any  time,  and  I  choose  to  hang  a  little  longer.  Perhaps 
I  have  not  yet  had  enough  distress."  Would  ho  not  be 
evidently  beside  himself?  And  yet  such  is  the  conduct  of 
the  great  mass  of  sinners,  and  of  serious,  awakened  sin- 
ners under  the  gospel. 

Reader,  what  is  your  state?  Are  you  yet  in  your  sins? 
Do  you  see  your  dreadful  guilt  and  exposure?  And  do  you 
anxiously  seek  and  inquire  for  deliverance?  If  not,  it  will 
be  in  vain  to  direct  you.  You  will  not  follow  any  direc- 
tions, if  given.  But  if  you  see  yourself  to  be  all  guilty 
and  exposed;  if  your  feelings  prompt  you  to  inquire, 
with  the  trembling  jailer,  "Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be 
saved?"  then  it  is  easy  and  pleasant  to  direct  you,  to 
point  you  to  the  compassionate  Saviour.  There  lie  stands, 
with  outstretched' arms,  waiting  to  intercept  your  fall. 
Hear  him  calling.  Hear  him  inviting.  "Come,  come, 
for  all  things  are  now.  ready."  Sinner,  yield  to  him.  Yield 
at  once.  Do  rot  doubt  his  ability  to  save  you.  Do  not 
doubt  thesineerityof  his  offers.  Do  not  wait  to  make  your- 
self better.  Do  not  hesitate  or  speculate  a  moment.  Re- 
member, that  the  question  before  you  is  one  <>f  tight  ami 
wrcna;  and  it  is  also  one  of  salvation  or  dcstiuc'ion.  You 
cannot  delay  without  adding  to  your  sin,  and  hazarding 
the  interests  of  your  immortal  soul.  Now,  then  is  your 
time.  Now,  while  you  are  reading  and  pondering  these 
lines — now,  while  the  pressure  of  obligation  is  strong  upon 
you,  let  go,  at  once,  every  other  dependence,  and  fall  into 
the  arms  of  your  all-powerful  Deliverer. 


